There were no encounters on the way to the power station. Not that people weren't happy about it, but everything good comes to an end eventually. In the distance, through the leaden clouds, Asan noticed the cooling towers. There were four of them. The ground underfoot had become strangely soft. It was decided to send part of the assault team ahead for reconnaissance. They didn't need a sudden attack on the group. For the people, this was a good excuse to catch their breath again, even if it was just for a short distance. Asan did not join the reconnaissance mission; instead, Crane, unsurprisingly, and Alice went. These two got along well; perhaps they had known each other before the system, Asan thought. While the group waited for the reconnaissance team to return, Laszlo approached Asan.
"Hey, still not tired out yet, weakling?" his friend joked, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, look who's here, Mr. Olympia himself came to ask how the newbies are doing. I'm fine, just my legs are a bit sore from all the walking, and the boots aren't helping either, but at least I have them, better than going barefoot" replied Asan, removing his friend's hand.
"So, who should you thank?" Laszlo proudly puffed out his chest and lightly punched himself in the chest.
"Yeah, right. Maybe you want me to bow down to your feet next? I already said thanks" Asan answered slightly irritated and once again glanced at the cooling towers. Finally, he noticed something in them. Fire. The cooling towers were half-destroyed and on fire. It was probably a result of the system, since it seemed to be very strict about electronics. Based on the stories overheard in the camp, many people claimed that phones, TVs, and all kinds of electronics suddenly stopped working or simply broke down.
From this, one can conclude that the system somehow benefits when people walk more, since every car found was in terrible condition. Even if it looked perfect on the outside, as if ready to go at full throttle, lifting the bumper revealed only a mess.
His musings were abruptly interrupted upon seeing two people on the horizon. Asan didn't like their tense faces. Laszlo was still with him and might have been lost in thought as well, so they both moved towards their companions. Geographer also went along.
"Hey, how's it going? Any news?" Paul asked somewhat tensely, noticing the nervous expressions on his comrades' faces.
"Fucking awful" Crane replied meaningfully, averting his gaze.
Alice looked at him and then sighed.
"There are a lot of creatures, around fifteen individuals, and it'll be hard to avoid them."
They spread out along the perimeter. "If we start a fight with even one of them, we might attract the attention of the others" she said through clenched teeth.
"They will attack immediately if they sense a battle; we've seen this before" Laszlo said, his gaze dropping as he recalled the scene in the dormitory.
Asan also fell into memories, remembering how the creatures suddenly turned and headed towards a group of people once the first ones spotted them. This was a serious problem, but... Why hadn't other creatures come to help the one inside the house then? Could there not have been any others nearby?
It was ridiculous; just a few houses away were other Ronnie who could have attacked if they wanted to.
"There must be... some condition. When I fought the creature in the house alone, it didn't call for help from the others, but it was different."
"She had long claws that left me these two holes in my hands" said Asan, symbolically raising his hand to show the pink bandage.
Everyone fell silent; Geographer had been quiet the whole time. Asan assumed either he had nothing to say or was formulating some kind of plan.
"Can't we take them on with just five of us?" asked Laszlo, scratching his head slightly.
"No way. Even if each of us manages to kill one, there will still be ten left. I doubt we can each kill three monsters" said Paul, nervously clenching his jaw.
"But you won't know unless you try!" Geographer spoke up sharply.
Everyone looked at him like... he was crazy. Of course, it's easy for you to say when you're not risking your own ass. But turning back wasn't an option either.
"There... Is another way" Crane said quietly.
Everyone paid attention to him, but Alice for some reason pushed him in the shoulder. Asan found this strange.
"Alright... If we go left, we can avoid fighting these creatures, but... We'll have to walk on... The Path of Death, no doubt" the girl said, her eyes reflecting strong concern.
What's this Path of Death? Laszlo looked at Asan and nodded, asking if he knew anything about it. Asan shook his head negatively and waited for an explanation.
"There are only 3 Ronnie, but the problem is how others... people will handle it. Corpses lie all around the perimeter, human and animal corpses. When we saw this, we felt sick, and the smell there is so terrible that tears come to your eyes" Crane also spoke quietly.
From his eyes, Asan was sure that the sight there must have been horrifying.
"If you could explain better?" Paul asked.
Finally, an explanation was given for why this path was bad.
"Understand... Even if we can endure such a sight, I'm not sure about the moral integrity of the group. Yes, we can get through it, even if there's a battle, but it would be much easier... But..."
Yes. Everything came down to the bodies. Asan understood what Crane was insisting on. If they took that path, people would have to walk down an avenue of corpses, literally stepping over them. It would be terrible, but tolerable. For him, this option was ideal anyway; they wouldn't need to go through the power plant, just skirt around it. While the bodies could be a problem, it was better than nothing.
"So decided, go in a group of five. If anything happens, we'll retreat" said Geographer and immediately turned away, not giving anyone a chance to voice any displeasure.
The group could only nod. Asan immediately reached into his backpack and took out a hammer.
Leaving their belongings behind except for their weapons, the strike team headed towards the Road of Death. At first, they walked on soft ground. Asan didn't even need an explanation for why it felt so soft and sticky. Blood. There was so much blood that it had softened the earth. Perhaps there were even corpses where the main camp now stood. This… This is terrible.
After walking about 500 meters to the left, the most disgusting, revolting, horrifying smell began to assault their noses. Everyone felt like vomiting, but each person swallowed everything that wanted to leave their stomachs. Food isn't endless.
"God… What is this… Hell?" Paul muttered to himself upon seeing a hill in the distance.
A hill of corpses. Parts of animal and human bodies intertwined, creating a true exhibition of horror and dread, making even the strongest nerves give way. Three monsters wandered aimlessly among these corpses, acting like guards of this cursed place.
"Let's move…"
Act according to the plan, Asan, Alice – advance guard. Laszlo – you are the core of the group. I am covering. Crane – your task is to help us all that you can, I think you will manage" said Paul, pinching his nose. Tears appeared in his eyes from the awful stench.
There was also the problem of decomposition. If they stayed here for too long, they wouldn't be leaving as living beings.
The group confidently formed their formation. Asan and Alice stood with weapons and moved forward. Laszlo, with his hunting knife, followed behind, covering his nose with his fingers. Paul had a folding baton. Asan didn't know he had something like that. Crane held his two-handed fire axe on the side, ready to split open the creature's head at any moment.
Soon they got close enough and the Ronnie noticed them. The creatures looked terrifying as always, but Asan felt confident.
He was not alone, which meant they could do something. First, the monsters creaked, then began their movement. Asan stood in a defensive stance, extending both hands forward, one of which held a hammer aimed at Ronnie. Alice, however, took a knife in reverse grip, standing in what seemed to be an "unbreakable stance" at least that's how Asan perceived it. Laszlo stood behind them, also preparing to attack.
"Ready! They're attacking! Asan, block from the right! Alice, two are coming for you, Laszlo, help her, Crane, quickly take care of the lone one and help the others!"
Indeed, Asan decided to trust Paul's order. Reacting in time, he managed to block the sharp teeth of the creature with the hammer handle. Immediately, his arms felt a great strain, but it quickly disappeared when Crane slashed the back of the creature's head with his axe.
The white liquid immediately splattered in all directions, hitting Asan's face and shirt. The smell became even worse, but Asan, without hesitation, pulled the hammer out of the creature's teeth and struck it on the side of its head with the sharp end. An announcement immediately sounded in his ears.
[Congratulations! You have killed an "Inferior"].
Asan... was stunned. They had so easily dispatched the creature that had taken him a lot of effort to deal with. But he was quickly brought back to his senses.
"Asan! Crane! Quickly help Alice and Laszlo!" Paul shouted, forcing the two guys into action.
Laszlo used his street boxing to prevent the creature from having time to attack. He delivered heavy blows to the skull, occasionally using a knife to stop the creature's teeth in particularly dangerous situations, but it was evident that he was tiring. Asan rushed over and hit the creature on the shoulder. It staggered slightly, and the arriving Crane finished it off by completely severing its head.
The notification came again.
[Congratulations! You killed "Inferior"].
Alice, on the other hand, quickly dodged and seemed almost victorious. Yes, she would have needed more time, but Asan was sure that she could defeat him. The last creature was dealt with very quickly. After receiving the third notification, there was no doubt that group work counted, even if you didn't kill the creature yourself. This was also confirmed by Paul, who had received three notifications as well.
"Hey, we did pretty well!" Laszlo said happily, looking at the corpses of the three creatures that joined those already lying on the ground.
"Yeah, I'm feeling great, let's get out of here, I almost suffocated while defending myself!" Alice grumbled, suggesting a very good idea!
Everyone happily supported her, leaving the area littered with corpses, their heels sparkling.
But...
The hardest was yet to come; they needed to lead an entire squad through these "carrion plains".